Other Fiction Reynolds, George W.M.: Mysteries of the Court of London 1st series. v2. 23 July 2014

[melaulur]

George William MacArthur Reynolds (23.7.1814-17.6.1879) was a
contemporary of Charles Dickens and his rival in
popularity at that time. He openly expressed his anti-aristocratic and
anti-clerical sentiments in his numerous novels. His elaborate and poetic
treatment of eroticism, seduction and human sexuality made him a
controversial writer in mid-century Victorian society. Till recently, he
was quite ignored by mainstream literary scholarship.

"The Mysteries of the Court of London" (MOCL, 8 volumes in four series,
1848-1856) are the continuation of "The Mysteries of London" (MOL, 4
volumes in 2 series, 1844-1848.) The change of the title is due to an
ownership issue. There were frequent stereotype reissues of MOCL during
the 19th century by its publisher John Dicks, London and one new
American edition "Privately Printed for Members" of the [nonexistent]
"Oxford Society, London/Boston" or, better still, the "Burton
Ethnological Society", was published in 20 volumes of ca. 500 pages each
around 1900 and titled "The works of George W.M. Reynolds". In that
edition, chapter CVI. "The Sanctimonious Conclave" is entirely missing.
There are also reprints of MOCL produced in India up to the 1930s.
Incomplete digitized versions of MOL and MOCL can be found on the
internet. MOCL was translated into many European and Asian
languages.


The setting of the first series of two volumes of MOCL which appeared in
104 weekly issues from 1848 to 1850, is an
account of events purported to have taken place in the
British royal family during the Regency Era (1795-1820), centering
on the erotic escapades of the Prince of Wales, later King George
IV., and his aristocratic friends.


EXCERPTS

Show us a class of persons, on the face of God Almighty's earth, more
thoroughly heartless than the English aristocracy. No -- you cannot!
There exists not an oligarchy in the world so devoid of proper feelings
as that which comprises the nobility and the fashion of this realm. Talk
of the donations which they make to charitable institutions -- it is a
despicable farce! They only give where they know their names will be
proclaimed by canting saints at Exeter Hall, or published in the columns
of the daily newspapers. And even if they were really charitable and
truly bounteous, even if they gave largely to the deserving poor, and
dispensed gold by handfuls in secret benevolence, they would only be
rendering back to the people a portion of that inordinate wealth which
they derive from the thews, sinews, fibres, vitals, and heart's blood of
the toiling, wretched, starving millions!

... ...

The Reverend Mr. Sneaksby seemed petrified with sudden astonishment, and
his friend appeared precisely in the same predicament. For upwards of a
minute did they gaze, open-mouthed, upon the lovely creature lounging
with graceful negligence in her chair. At the first glance they fancied
it was a young and dandified man, with his hair dressed in a feminine
style; but as their looks wandered over the beautiful white forehead
with its transparent tracery of azure veins faintly marked, -- the
profile too delicate for the male sex, -- the brightness of the rich
moist coral lips, the total absence of beard and whisker, the fairness
of the complexion, and the glossy silkiness of that raven hair, -- as
their eyes, we say, embraced all these fascinating details, one after
another, they began to entertain sore misgivings; and when their looks
settled upon the exuberant and swelling contours of the full bosom over
which the riding-surtout fitted with such shapely tightness, developing
rather than concealing those feminine charms of which the Amazon
possessed such a voluptuous abundance, their faces gradually elongated
to a degree presenting the most ludicrous aspect of woe-begone
sanctimoniousness and hypocritical misery.

... ...

"What would you have me do?" asked Florimel, his breast a prey to
desires which were almost maddening, as he contemplated the lovely girl;
for in the agitation that had latterly seized upon her, and when she
covered her face with her hands, as she now recovered, she had thrust
her naked arms forth from beneath the ample cloak, and the licentious
voluptuary was enabled to feast his eyes upon those arms so white and
round.

... ...

And as she sat by the side of Sir Richard Stamford, with one fair hand
locked in his own, she gazed upon him with looks full of tenderness,
full of love, full of profound and impassioned affection; and the
heightening colour of her damask cheeks and the deepening scarlet of her
plump and juicy mouth, combined with the gentle heaving of her bosom,
indicated the soft desires that were animating her soul. For that was
the age of low gowns and transparent dresses; and more than half of the
royal lady's voluptuous breast was revealed to view when her scarf was
laid aside. Thus the swelling and falling of those luxuriant globes of
snow were plainly visible; and as the baronet felt the warm pressure of
Amelia's hand and beheld her glowing bust, when, too, he saw the tint of
the rose deepening into that of the carnation upon her cheeks, and her
fine blue eyes becoming more melting and tender in expression, he would
have been something more or something less than man had he not caught
the effluence of that desire and the spirit of that sensual longing
which exhaled, as it were, from the beauteous person of the royal
maiden.

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[AlexBell]

Thanks for the book and the excerpts. Karma on its way

[melaulur]

Uploaded a new version of Mysteries of the Court of London 1st series
adding the missing parts of Chapter 80.
Typos corrected.